Our Philosophy & Strategy

The Pastoralist Assistance Group believes that pastoralism is a way of life: it is about herding animals and sustaining fragile environments.  We view pastoralism as a resilient and productive livelihood system and we believe that pastoralism should be promoted positively.  We believe that in supporting pastoralists and pastoralism, the solutions and strategies lie with the pastoralists themselves. That by supporting dialogue and creating non-threatening safe environments for pastoralists, key opinion leaders and policy makers to come together, pastoralists will design their own futures and create their own opportunities

We do not speak for pastoralists, but aim to create environments where they can speak for themselves about the issues that they feel are important.

Our philosophy begins with the premise that, pastoralist’s as indigenous people have the right of self determination and the right to maintain and strengthen their distinctive spiritual and material relationship with the land, territories and waters which they have traditionally owned or occupied.  We support a harmonious relationship between ecology and economy; between tradition and progress; and between environment and development. Our Core Values stipulate that we work through and with the local community at all times and we adopt an approach that centres on our accountability to pastoralist communities. We promote a positive view of pastoralists and of the potential of pastoral economies, their social institutions and their indigenous knowledge.

Our Strategy

Over the next five years The Pastoralist Assistance Group, PAG has strategic objectives to:

• Strengthen pastoralist customary law, resource management and livestock production.

• Support peace-building between pastoralist tribes in the dry lands of Kenya particularly in the border areas neighbouring Somalia and Ethiopia.

• Facilitate dialogue, debate and the sharing of knowledge through a range of forums, seminars and gatherings where pastoralists speak about their issues and communicate effectively with their governments, advocate for their human rights and influence how they are perceived nationally and internationally.

• Develop partnerships with local organisations or CBOs that work similarly with pastoralists to develop joint work, support their capacity and provide them access to new knowledge and funding.

These four objectives will be achieved in two stages.

Stage one:

We plan to support pastoralists in the border areas of Kenya and Somalia with their own efforts to advocate for their rights, achieve peace and livelihood security for their families. This work is already going on, has already shown itself to be successful and is the first priority of pastoralists. The project, ‘Rights, Peace and Pastoralist Livelihoods’ will be a joint initiative implemented by our two partners: EPAG K, a Kenyan NGO supporting Somali pastoralists in north eastern Kenya and Gedo region, Somalia and the Pastoralist Shade Initiative a group of pastoralist elders that has successfully brought peace in a large area in the north of the rift valley. To take forward this work and support our relationship with these two new partners we are currently raising the necessary funds to recruit a Kenya-based representative.

Stage two:

This rights based peace work will lay the ground for future work with pastoralists that will promote the sharing and generating of knowledge on all of the other areas that pastoralists deem important: land, economy and technology. A year or more of supporting the successful peace-making work of both organisations will allow PAG to build greater understanding, develop our partnerships and plan for the next stage of the project.